Visual communicating device



Jan. 13, 1953 G. w. ACKERMAN 2,624,922

VISUAL COMMUNICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Hilllllluumm INVENTOR. g ge W. Ackermcm B ATTO ZNEY Jan 13, 1953 G. w. ACKERMAN 7 2,624,922

VISUAL COMMUNICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 FiG. 6

INVENTOR. 7| Gm e orge W. Ackermun Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES VISUAL COMMUNICATING DEVICE George W. Ackerman, New York, N. Y. Application February 1, 1950, Serial No. 141,817

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for visual and oral communication through a door or the like, such as conventionally installed in doors of homes, apartments, and the like, to permit a person on the inside to view and communicate with anyone outside the door, without the need for opening the door.

Numerous communicating devices of the character described, of different types, have heretofore been known. However, the building codes of many communities have, for purposes of safety of the person as well as in the case of fire, placed certain restrictions upon the type of communicating devices of the character described which are permitted to be installed in the doors of homes and apartments. Such building codes and regulations, as in the city of New York, for instance, forbid the use of any communicating devices which are not capable of being kept locked when not in use, and should not be capable of opening from the outside. Furthermore, such codes and regulations require that the communicating openings of the device be automatically closed and locked, when not in use, without the need for any positive action on the part of the user. Also it is required that the automatic closing and locking should be accomplished without the use of any mechanism such as a spring or the like which is likely to break and go out of order during use and thus become ineifective for the purpose of automatically closing and looking the communicating opening.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a communicating device for doors or the like, which will meet with the standards and requirements of the most rigid building codes in connection therewith and will automatically close and remain closed and locked except when positively supported in open position by the user, manually, from the interior of the home or the apartment, and is not capable of being opened from the exterior.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described in which the closing and locking are eiiected by gravity and without any mechanism that is likely to get out of order.

It is another object of the present invention to provide door communicating means which are of simple construction and which may be operated by the user with great ease and facility.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a door communicating device of the character described which is economical to produce and which is easy and simple to assemble and install.

The foregoing and other advantages and superiorities of the door communicating devices of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the communicating device of the present invention as viewed from the outside or front of the door, shown with the communicating opening closed;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same from the inside of the door, likewise with the communicating opening closed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the device, shown with the communicating opening closed;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the communicating opening opened;

Fig. 5 is a elevational view of the inner face of the outer or front plate of the device;

Fig, 6 is a elevational view of the outer face of the intermediate plate of the device;

Fig. 7 is a elevational view of the inner face of the intermediate plate of the device, shown with slide plate assembled therewith;

Fig. 8 is a elevational view of the inner face of the slide plate of the device, shown with the slide plate mounted thereon; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the locking element of the device.

Referring more specifically to the accompanying drawings, the intercommunicating device of the present invention comprises four (4) parts, only two (2) of which are movable and all of which may, if desired, be formed most economically by casting from soft metal.

The device may comprise an outer plate or grill, generally designated as l0, having a central opening ll formed with an inwardly extending flange 12 which is adapted to fit within the opening !3 formed in the panel M of a door or the like. The opening I may, if desired, be formed with a protective grill 15.

The outer plate it may also be formed with additional openings Hi and ll, respectively, for exposure of cards or the like, bearing information such as apartment number and occupants name, respectively, which cards may be disposed intermediate the plate Hi and the panel [4. The plate 3 may be formed with inner marginal ribs around its edges and around the edges of the openings l6 and I! to provide a space permitting the disposal of the information cards behind the plate.

The plate It) may further be provided with inwardly extending busses 2| which may be integrally cast with the flange I2 of the opening II, which busses will extend through the panel 14 coextensively with said flange l2, and which studs are provided with tapped openings 24, for a purpose which will hereinafter be made clear.

The intercommunicating device also comprises an inner or intermediate plate, generally designated as 25, formed with countersunk openings 26 positioned to be arranged in register with the tapped openings 24 of the bosses 2| on the plate ID, and through which screws 21 may be passed to engage in said tapped opening 24, to thereby secure both the plate It] and the plate 25 to the door panel I4.

The inner face of the plate 25 may be formed with a marginal rib 28 along its edge and a central rib 29 substantially surrounding the portion thereof covering the door panel opening [3. The plate 25 is also provided on its inner face in an upper corner thereof, with a vertical embossment 30 of substantially the same height as the ribs 28 and 25 through which there is formed a vertical countersunk slot 3! and in a diagonally disposed lower corner, with a horizontal embossment 32 having formed, adjacent an edge thereof, in diagonally opposite relation to the embossment 30, a vertical countersunk slot 33.

The outer face of the plate 25 is countersunk at its center, relative the side portions thereof, to form a track or guideway 34, bound-ed on each side by the guide shoulders 35. The central, countersunk portion 34 is also formed with one or more transverse slots 36 disposed, when the plates 25 and H! are in place, opposite the center of the opening I l in plate I0. Also formed in the outer face of the plate 25, opposite the embossmen t32, is a rectangular recess, generally designated as 40, having fiat top and side edges 4| and 42, respectively, a rear wall tapering downwardly and inwardly, along its upper portion 44, and downwardly and outwardly along its lower portion 45, and a bottom side 46 tapering downwardly and outwardly from said rear wall.

Arranged against the outer face of the intermediate plate 25, between the guide shoulders 35, is a slide plate, generally designated as 50. The slide plate 50 is formed with side ribs 51, on its inner face and with bosses 52 in diagonally opposite corners thereof, which bosses 52 are adapted to fit within the vertical slots 3| and 33 of the intermediate plate 25; the bosses 52 having tapped openings 53 adapted to receive the screws 54, the heads of which will be engaged within the countersunk portions of the vertical slots 3| and 33 to retain the slide plate 50 in sliding position upon the intermediate plate 25.

The slide plate 50 is formed with an opening 55 adjacent its bottom, which opening is arranged to register with the recess 40 in the intermediate plate 25 when the slide plate 50 is in the lowermost position permitted by the vertical slots 3| and 33 and with a transverse opening or slot 56 above the opening 55 arranged to be out of register with the opening in the intermediate plate 25 when the slide plate 55 is in lowermost position and to register with the last named opening when the slide plate 50 is in uppermost position. The rectangular opening 55 is, preferably, of less di- 4 mensions than the rectangular recess in the intermediate plate 25, so that when the opening is in register with the recess its edges will overhang the edges of the recess 40.

Disposed within the recess 40 is a lock element, generally designated as H1, and comprising a substantially rectangular plate H having a curved arcuate inner lower edge 12, adapted to slide readily over the sloping lower portion of the rear wall of the recess 40 and its bottom side 46, and provided, on its outer face, at its lower portion, with an embossment or projection 13 of lesser width than the plate '!I and adapted to project from the opening 55; the embossment 13 having a substantially flat bottom edge continuous with the curved bottom edge 12 of the plate 1! l The slide plate 55 may also be provided with a finger piece 15 at its bottom edge, whereby it may be engaged for moving upwardly or downwardly.

The device of the invention may be attached in place by first securing the slide plate to the intermediate plate 25 by means of the screws 54; the lock piece 10 being inserted in the recess 40 before the two are assembled. This subassembly is then connected to the panel I 4 and outer plate I 6 by means of screws 21.

Normally the slide plate 5 0 will, under the force of gravity of its own weight, rest in the lowermost position, the bosses 52 engaging the lower edges of the countersunk slots 3| and 33, respectively, and the opening 55 in register with the recess and the sloping bottom wall of the recess. The weight of the locking element 10 will tend to dispose it uprightly, with its bottom in the lowermost part of the recess 40, in which position the sloping bottom wall 40 of the recess 40 will engage against the curved inner bottom edge 12 of the plate H to urge it in an outward direction to have the embossment or rib 13 project through the opening 55, its bottom edge overhanging the bottom edge of such opening to prevent any inadvertent upper movement of the slide plate 50 and keep the opening 56 out of register with the openings 1 l and 36.

The slide plate 55 and the plate 25 will remain in interlocked position until the locking element 10 is manually pushed rearwardly into the recess to disengage the embossment 12 from the bottom edge of the opening 55, to enable the up ward movement of the slide plate 50, to bring its opening in register with the opening 55 of the plate 25; an operation which can only be performed from the inside and in no other manner. Merely releasing the slide plate 50 will cause it automatically to drop into its normal position in interlocking engagement with the lock element 10.

This completes the description of one embodiment of the communicating device of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that this device meets with all the possible requirements of any building code; locking automatically and staying in locked position, without the aid of any springs or other mechanical means that is likely to get out of order since the locking operation is performed by the operation of the force of gravity. It will likewise be apparent that the device cannot be opened for communication except by positive manual action which can be applied only from the inner side of the device and that no positive manual operation of any sort is required to lock the device.

It will further be apparent that numerous variations and modifications in the device of the present invention, particularly as to the shape and form, may be made by anyone skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the in-- vention hereinabove set forth and without the use of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made in the device within the spirit of the present invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate adapted to be secured to a panel and having an aperture formed therein and a recess formed therein in spaced relation to said aperture, and an outer plate slidably arranged on said inner plate for limited sliding movement over said aperture and said recess, said slide plate having an aperture formed therein arranged to register with said inner plate aperture at one extreme of the outer late movement and a second aperture formed therein arranged to register with said recess only at the other extreme of the outer plate movement, said second aperture having edge portions overhanging said recess, a locking piece arranged in said recess and having portions underlying said second aperture edge portions and a portion adapted to normally automatically project into said second aperture to engage over an edge thereof, said locking piece and said recess formed to permit displacement of said locking piece wholly into said recess and out of said second aperture.

2. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate adapted to be secured to a panel, said inner plate having a centrally disposed aperture formed therein and a recess formed therein in spaced relation to said aperture, an outer plate slidably arranged on said inner plate for movement over said aperture and said recess, means for limiting the sliding movement of said outer plate in each direction, said outer plate having an aperture formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said inner plate aperture and a second aperture formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said recess only at the other limit of said outer plate movement, said second outer plate aperture having edge portions overhanging said recess, and a locking piece arranged in said recess and having portions underlying said overhanging edges of said second aperture and having a portion normally automatically projecting therefrom into said second aperture, said recess formed to permit manual displacement of said projection inwardly into said recess.

3. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate having means whereby it may be secured to a panel, said inner plate having an aperture formed therein and a recess formed therein in spaced relation to said aperture, an outer plate slidably arranged on said inner plate over said aperture and said recess, means securing said outer plate to said inner plate and limiting its sliding movement thereon, said outer plate having an aperture formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said inner plate aperture at one extreme of the outer plate movement and a second aperture formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said recess only at the other extreme of the outer plate movement, said second outer plate aperture having edge portions adapted to overhang said recess and an edge adapted to be in alinement with an edge of said recess when the aperture and recess are in register, and a locking piece arranged in said recess for free movement therein, said locking piece having portions underlying the overhanging edges of said second outer plate aperture and a projecting portion adapted to extend into said second aperture, said recess being of a size to completely house said locking piece and having means for moving said locking piece under its own Weight in an outward direction to have its projecting portions extend into said second aperture to engage over said alined edge.

4. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate adapted to be secured to a panel, said inner plate having an opening formed in an upper portion thereof and a recess formed therein below said opening and spaced therefrom, an outer plate slidably arranged on said inner plate for limited longitudinal movement over said opening and said recess, said outer plate having an opening formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said inner plateopening when said outer plate is moved to the extreme limit in the direction of said inner plate opening, said outer plate having a second opening formed therein arranged to be disposed in register with said recess when said outer plate is moved to the extreme limit in the direction of said recess, said second outer plate opening being narrower than said recess and having side edge portions adapted to overhang the said recess, and a bottom edge adapted to be alined with the bottom edge of said recess when said second outer plate opening and said recess are in register, a locking piece movably arranged in said recess, said locking piece having an outwardly projecting portion at its bottom, said recess being of greater height than said locking piece and having the lower portion of its inner wall sloping outwardly to thereby move said locking piece outwardly as it settles gravitationally within said recess to project its projecting portion into said second outer plate opening to engage over the lower edge thereof.

5. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate adapted to be secured in upright position on a panel, said inner plate having an opening formed therein and a substantially rectangular recess formed therein below said opening and spaced therefrom, an outer plate slidably supported on said inner plate for limited vertical movement over said opening and said recess, said outer plate having an opening formed therein of substantially rectangular shape and narrower than said recess arranged to be in register with said recess when said outer plate is in normal lowermost position, said second plate having a second opening formed therein arranged to be in register with said inner plate opening when said outer plate is moved to its upper limit, a locking piece freely movably arranged within said recess, said locking piece having portions underlying the side edges of said first outer plate opening and a portion projecting outwardly therefrom, said recess being of a height greater than said locking piece and having an upper portion adapted to completely accommodate said locking piece and a lower portion having an outwardly downwardly sloping inner wall adapted to move said locking piece outwardly as it settles gravitationally thereon and to extend its projecting portion through said register- 7 ing outer plate opening to overhang the lower edge thereof.;

6. The intercommunicating device of claim 5, wherein said locking piece is formed with a rounded inner bottom edge to facilitate its sliding over said lower sloping inner wall portion of said recess.

7. An intercommunicating device of the character described, including an inner plate adapted to be secured in upright position on a panel, said inner plate having an opening formed therein and a substantially rectangular recess formed therein below said opening and spaced therefrom, an outer plate slidably supported on said inner plate for limited vertical movement over said opening and said recess, said outer plate having an opening formed therein of substantially rectangular shape and narrower than said recess arranged to be in register with said recess with its lower edge substantially in alinement with the lower edge of said recess when said outer plate is in its normal lowermost position by its own weight, said outer plate having a second opening formed therein arranged to register with said inner plate opening when said outer plate is moved to its uppermost position, a locking element of substantially rectangular shape freely movably arranged within said recess and partly underlying the side edges of said first outer plate opening, said locking element having a projecting portion adjacent its lower edge adapted to extend into said first outer plate opening, said recess being of a height greater than said locking element and having an upper section including an upwardly and outwardly sloping rear wall adapted to completely house said locking element and a lower section having a downwardly and outwardly sloping rear wall adapted to move the lower portion of said locking element outwardly with its projecting portion extending into said first outer plate opening to overhang the lower edge thereof. as said locxing element settles gravitationally within said recess.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said locking element has a rounded lower inner edge for facilitating its movement over the rear wall portion of said lower recess section.

9. An intercommunicating device of the char acter described, including an inner plate having an opening formed therein and adapted to be secured in upright position and having a recess formed therein, an outer panel having an opening formed therein supported on said inner panel for limited vertical sliding movement thereon over said recess, said outer panel having a second opening formed therein arranged to register with said recess when said outer panel is at its lowermost position, a locking element freely movable vertically and inwardly within said recess, said locking element having a projection on its outer face, means for retaining said locking element within said recess and means within said recess for moving said locking element outwardly as it settles gravitationally therewithin to have its projection extend into said opening.

GEORGE W. ACKERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,648,279 Mumbraver Nov. 8, 1927 1,857,184 Earl May 10, 1932 2,078,002 Keil et a1 Apr. 20, 1937 

